Undercover reporter Johnathan Jones posed as a Merzist-Cohenist leader in the nation of Alduria, directly to the south of Mordusia. Cohenism, an ideology believing in socially conservative or even theocratic values while also supporting a proletarian vanguard party, was thought to be really exclusive to Mordusia. They are the largest party in the country and the only party of its kind in the world.

During his time there, he had several individuals approached him from the Westwheel and Cohen families about the possibility of funding the rise of this country, their neighbor, hoping for a ‘Cohenist bloc’ where traditional values rule in a workers nation. Unfortunately for the Westwheels, funding foreign political parties or conspiracy to do so is banned under Mordusian law.

The repercussions of this action are yet to be seen, but it is now clear that the ideals of Cohenism are set to be exported outside of Mordusia.

Duchess of Argennes gives birth to daughterGovernor-General's daughter to be named Caroline Louise

Pictured: The Duchess of Argennes attending a state dinner earlier this year

SEMAILLES, ALDURIA — Elizabeth, Duchess of Argennes gave birth to a healthy daughter earlier this afternoon at Semailles Royal Hospital with her husband Christophe Edouard, Governor-General and Duke of Argennes, at her side. The couple have announced that their daughter will be named Caroline Louise, having chosen for the future Duchess names common in both Alduria and Luthori fitting to her Alduro-Luthorian parentage.

President Alain Vérany has expressed his congratulations to the couple, as have numerous other heads of state and government from around the world. Luthorian Governor-General Charles Brighton, who defeated the Duchess's father to take the Governor-Generalship two years ago, was among those expressing their congratulations. Even the Emperor-King himself congratulated the couple on the new arrival.

The Duchess has expressed her intentions to return to public duties within the fortnight.

Parti National-Libéral propelled to victory in Aldurian electionsThere was shock at the polls as the National Liberals were propelled to victory, to the surprise of political pundits. Experts predicted another term for Reconstruire l'ancien in Alduria's September [4419] elections, the question on every Aldurian's lips is now "What next for Alduria?"

From Humble BeginningsHenri Dimont isn't the sort of man you expect to deliver a political upset, hailing from an aristocratic background- one of the oldest and most respected Aldurian families- Henri Dimont is establishment, through and through. Yet, he has led an extra parliamentary movement over the last 5 years which has continually criticised government policy, acting as a thorn in the side of the RA. He hails from Val-Zanyal, where he won a seat in the election and where his party won 76% of the vote-This is a far cry from 4414 when Dimont and his party garnered under 1% of the vote- Humble beginnings indeed.

So what facilitated the rise of the National-Liberal Party? The National Liberals have their origins in lobbyists and influential individuals who had no particular strong affiliation to any political party, they were supportive of Les Patriotes' nationalism, but critical of their economic policy, corporatism, and pacifism, but very much favoured the extreme militarism of Parti Populaire Aldurienne. This group found some affiliation with some of the RA's policies, but again, there wasn't total identification. As the other parties dwindled and disappeared, and the RA became the sole party in the Convention Nationale, these lobbyists and influential individuals became slowly dissatisfied with the perceived complacency of the government. They slowly became much more vocal and confrontational in their opposition to the government, forming political clubs and discussion groups, holding meetings etc. It took some time for the group to gather steam, and the courage to actively present an alternative.

As the 4414 election approached, and it appeared as if there would be no credible, organised opposition standing, some of these groups began to coalesce into a loose electoral force which decided to stand candidates, this was not a party, per se, but a grouping or alliance which had broadly similar views- The challenge was to invigorate the electorate from its apathy and create outrage. Given the relative weakness of the National Liberal's forces at this time, they were relatively successful- in a short period of time they managed to begin the delicate work of building a party structure, gather funds, gather candidates, and develop a base of support.

Most successful in this election was the current man of the hour- Henri Dimont who garnered 5,202 votes in Val-Zanyal, a significant base to work from and develop. Following this challenge to the government, there was muted celebration at having presented an alternative, and the opportunities this presented for the grouping nationally in subsequent elections. In order to aid this, a special conference was called of "National Liberals nationally" to discuss the election and how might the government be challenged. This conference was attended by the various discussion groups, individuals and lobbyists who had coalesced over the previous years into the umbrella electoral organisation.

A motion passed unanimously decided to form "A nationally organised 'National Liberal party' with a uniform structure- Leadership, branches, a party constitution" and "a commitment to coordinated electoral work in the next election, with agreed candidates." A motion also decided to name this body "Le Parti National-Liberal" and a National Executive were elected, tasked with drawing up a constitution to be voted on at a conference next year. The leader of this executive was none other than Henri Dimont.

Out of thin air?Some have been awestruck at this groundswell movement which has suddenly found itself in charge of the country, even many of its membership and leadership- But was this result out of thin air? Was there a recognisable trend? This author believes so, though the party had no members of parliament (or the public platform that brings with it) there were a series of mass rallies, demonstrations etc. over the course of the previous government's tenure, slowly growing in size and prominence, which could point to not only the growing popularity of the National-Liberals and their manifesto, but the simultaneous growing unpopularity of the RA administration- this well before the election campaign even begun.

The muted optimism of the National Liberals was met in many circles with incredulity, though what is now abundantly clear is that it was not without cause- there was much dissatisfaction with the perceived complacency of the government who began to sit on their laurels, the National Liberals, with their populist, nationalist, conservative agenda, caused people turn their heads and aroused interest in a population who hadn't seen a serious opposition in years.

Whilst anyone could have said the National Liberals would have won a few seats, at least to keep the RA on their toes, no one could have predicted that the electorate would have given the government such a bloody nose. With such unpredictability at play, who knows where Dimont, the National Liberals, or Alduria itself will go in these coming years?

March 4421Historic Aldurian visit to Lourenne- Président du Conseil Ministres and Foreign Minister meet with Lourennais officialsA New Era for Aldurien-Lourennais diplomacy?The fate of entire nations often falls to the chemistry of their leaders, if there is truth in that statement, we can look forward to many long, happy years of friendship with Lourenne after an historic visit from the Aldurien Premier and his Foreign Minister. And it all kicked off with warm greetings from their Lourennais counterparts. There was a clear rapport between the officials.

Afterwards, the Premier visited the Place de la Défense, taking note of beautiful splendour of it, before addressing several thousand Lourennais, at one point declaring:

"There is more that unites than divides us- We must forget old quarrels and reforge ancient bonds. We are one people you and I, more than Aldurien, Lourennais- And the same of those citoyen of Rildanor and Kanjor- We are one people, one nation- united by that now long forgotten testament... *Pause* Well I do not forget! Remember with me, friends: Je suis un citoyen Canrillaişe!"

This was followed by rapturous cheering with chants of "Je suis un citoyen Canrillaişe!"

Invigorated by the euphoric welcome from their countrymen, the Aldurien delegation then visited some of Lourenne's most historic sights, before moving onto the Government Comple for a conference discussing enhanced cooperation between the two nations. This publication understands that the Président du Conseil Ministres made clear his government's expansion of military spending and his determination to continue this course of action, a fact relished by Lourennais officials who presented advanced plans for Alduria to enhance its military capabilities, a task which Henri Dimont has previously described as having been "neglected by previous administrations". It also appeared as if Henri Dimont had finally developed a clear position on the question of the Fédération de Canrille, of which Alduria is the only Canrillaise nation not yet to be a member of, and appeared to lean towards joining the Federation and talked of a "possibility of joining the Federation" while addressing the Lourennais Chamber of Deputies afterwards where he also said:

"Alduria cannot survive in this world alone, nor can Lourenne, Kanjor or Rildanor- But Canrille just might."

Later that evening the delegation attended a dinner at the Lac de Lumières, hosted by Madame President D'Orléans and her husband, also attended by various Lourennais officials. That night the Aldurien delegation stayed in guest rooms at the luxurious Presidential palace before leaving the next day at Noon via plane. After stepping foot back on Aldurien soil, Henri Dimont was immediately pressed for comment and he said the following:

Foreign affairs is no fickle business- Often a nation can offer too much at negotiations, or concede an ally by offering too little. The same is true for our relations with the other nations of Canrille- Do we sacrifice the sovereignty of Alduria in order to make one nation out of what is now 4? Do we turn our backs on such an arrangement and alienate our friends and allies? Perhaps the answer is found in compromise between these ideas. Still yet, there are other issues which must be addressed- What of the Imperial Commonwealth for instance, would the Federation compromise a commitment to that body? These are all questions that I have considered over these past months, throughout my tenure as Premier, and indeed before it, from the political periphery. As I have already established, we deal with dangerous questions, and danger must be responded to with strength, and so, I must now respond with such strength- bold leadership. The previous administration dodged this question, I am not my predecessor, and so I will now speak candidly. I as the Premier of this country, as leader of le Parti National-Libéral, which has an overwhelming majority in Parliament, have decided that Alduria must accede to the Fédération de Canrille Treaty, and, accordingly, will join this Federation. I will battle for this cause within my party, cabinet and in parliament, and will cooperate with anyone who wishes to further this goal. I will also now engage in discussions with my cabinet and party, to discuss the viability of continued membership in the Imperial Commonwealth in the case that Alduria joins the Federation. This will of course involve discussions with the Sovereign, the Federation, and the Imperial Commonwealth respectively. In light of recent discussions with the Lourennais government, I will also be endeavouring to ensure further cooperation in various fields, largely military and economic in the coming months- This will include increased military spending in addition to the commitments already made by this government. I only wish to add the further point that I very much enjoyed my visit to Lourenne and thank the Lourennais government and their people for such a warm welcome. Thank you- there will be no further quesitons.

This decision from Henri Dimont is sure to cause discomfort from many in his backbenches and even his cabinet, many of who would have serious questions over Alduria's sovereignty in such a super-national union, furthermore, the Premier- should he succeed in Alduria's accession to the Fderation- may find himself in a difficult situation with the Imperial Commonwealth, and indeed its supporters within Alduria, who may not take kindly to an alternative body, more worryingly is that in this regard there could be a potential crisis between the Premier and the Monarch, thrusting Alduria into a constitutional crisis. The question now is how the interested parties will respond to this change in foreign policy approach. Already, one prominent backbencher has declared: "This is a fundamental betrayal of Alduria and her sovereignty, the Premier must reevaluate whether he truly believes in Aldurien values and customs.". There have also been rumblings of discontent from the royal court and its supporters.

April 4421Tensions continue over government foreign policyOpposition with National-Liberals launch scathing attack on Henri DimontYet more divisions were made apparent today on the government benches during a parliamentary debate on the Fédération de Canrille and the proposed ratification of Alduria's accession to the body by the Premier last month. A significant speech from one NL Deputy, Jean Martin derided the proposal, stating the following:

This Treaty... *Pause before continuing over Pro-Treaty shouting*This Treaty- would destroy our nation's very livelihood- Alduria would cease to be a nation... *Shouting from Pro-Treaty deputies* Alduria would become a province, yes, a province of Lourenne. This Treaty despite all the claims made by la President du Conseil, does not advance Alduria, only Lourenne. We would sacrifice our sovereignty and our most gracious monarch for Lourennais bribes If the Premier wishes so eagerly to join with the Lourennais, then I invite him to become their Premier instead! *Cheers from the Anti-Treaty Deputies*

This intervention brought yet more question to the support that Henri Dimont has on the government benches, and calls into question his ability to continue his legislative programme, and his ability to ratify accession to the Federation. The Premier, who has largely avoided any significant political challenge until now, given his large majority in the National Convention, with two-thirds being NL Deputies, is now faced with the largest and most difficult question perhaps in decades, which would fundamentally change the relationship that Alduria has with the rest of Southern Seleya and Lourenne. It is speculated that 61 NL Deputies are so far opposed to Monsieur Dimont's proposals, which, assuming the rest of his party votes for his proposals, means he has a slim majority of 16. This does not account for how the RA will vote, however. This bold action by Monsieur Dimont may be viewed by history as rash rather than bold as he could very easily find himself without the large majority he found himself with at the beginning of his tenure- bringing down his career with it.

Dimont undeterredLa President du Conseil however, appears undeterred, and indeed characteristically confident, and having entered the chamber with his usual air of confidence, responded to the earlier comments by Monsieur Martin:

There are some who have said that I am a traitor, that I have sold Alduria for Lourennais gold... *Shouts of traitor from Anti-Treaty deputies* Messrs, I do not seek quarrel with you, my dearest countrymen. I beg of you, I do seek Alduria's continued growth and prosperity, and I wish it for Lourenne, Rildanor and Kanjor too. I ask you all here today- Can one among you really claim to be Aldurien and not Canrillaise? We have a common history, language, culture- Our destiny revolves around the same axis- We do not forcibly bind ourselves together, I have not forced Canrille upon Alduria, it has long been the case that Alduria has been part of Canrille, and the the heart of the people of Alduria have yearned reunion. I am forced by the desire of a single people- A Canrillaise people, to bring reunion. I am told I am not a patriot, that I am a traitor. And though I am worth my salt, something that I have proven of myself before, I find it an honourable thing to prove myself to those with doubts. My cabinet and I have been engaged in frank discussions in these past weeks, and in order to unite legislative policies which are totally in alignment with each-other- Economic liberalisation, the agreed policy of le Parti National-Libéral, and the Federation de Canrille, the agreed policy of the majority of le Parti National-Libéral- This government has drawn up a new legislative proposal... *Murmurs amongst all deputies* This government immediately seeks to legislate for reform of the defence industry and how it is run in this country- A significant proportion of this nation's defence industry is in public hands, something in the region of 75%, which accounts for a similar amount of military supply. Whilst this government does believe in total privatisation of the defence industry, given the danger of certain materials involved in production- It does believe room could be made for certain conventional arms, which make up a large percentage of this industry. In the interests of consolidation and logistical centralisation, the government has decided that production for the defence industry should be concentrated. In light of this, this government can announce its proposal for the formation of "Matériaux Aldurien inc.". The government can account that 45% of its own stake in the Aldurien defence industry has been privatised, while purchases for another 15% of the industry already privatised, have been added to this corporation. This government believes this to be a significant step which will surely advance economic interests. The government will encourage private investment into this business, and will satiate growth for this new corporation by immediate new orders, in light of Alduria's increased, and increasing, military spending. We will also cooperate with other nations to expand this new economic venture, and indeed, the Aldurian economy. Thank you, deputies.

This announcement is significant and a clear attempt to win over many of his detractors within the party, who largely hold economically liberal views and wish to see further privatisation. It's also an attempt to assure his party that the Federation will offer new economic opportunities, which he alluded to, via economic and military cooperation. We can only wait to see whether deputies will take this offering, but Monsieur Dimont will still have to win over the public who are still divided on the issue of the Federation, with recent polls suggesting that 50% are in favour of joining the Federation, while 39% are against- 11% are undecided. Opinion is similarly divided on continued membership of the Imperial Commonwealth.

April 4421Government angst over tensions in DovaniTalk of Aldurian interventionThe government, whilst occupied with matter at hand regarding the Federation Treaty and the growing divisions within its backbenches, has taken its eyes off events in Dovani temporarily. However, having garnered itself some breathing space after a recent counter offensive by President du Conseil Henri Dimont, with announcements regarding economic stimulus, primarily the announcement of the creation of Matériaux Aldurien Inc. which could yet prove an important player in the production of armaments, at least regionally. Perhaps Monsieur Dimont has now found a use for his expanded armed forces, and source of revenue for his new corporation- War in Dovani. Indeed, this publication has been informed that Dimont has already ordered military exercises and full preparedness for the armed forces. Unconfirmed reports also suggest that the Premier has ordered warships to patrol waters between Seleya and Dovani, close to New Alduria which is symptomatic of the tensions existent.Henri Dimont has ordered the construction of several new warships in his time in office, Le Intervention is one such ship

Same old storyWar in Dovani is nothing new, in fact, more newsworthy would be Dovani at peace. What is worthy of note now, at least for Monsieur Dimont is recent Dovani Union activity in Southern Dovani, namely invasion of New Alduria and the threat posed to neighbouring Noumonde- Both largely Canrillaise countries. This creates an obvious predicament for the Premier over how he responds- Rash action could lead to conflict, something Monsieur Dimont is all too familiar with as of late, if he does nothing, he could instead find two Canrillaise nations under the jackboot of Medina, and a hostile Dovani Union on Alduria's doorstep- Not exactly the legacy he wishes to leave. Both prospects have their own grave prospects, but this could prove a more tricky issue than federations and treaties- a real test of Dimont's mettle.

Surely not war?The symbolism of New Alduria's name is surely not lost on Monsieur DImont, given he is Premier of the former colony's name sake- A point which would surely turn into political capital for the opposition should it fall- Or the Monsieur Dimont, should he act to save it. Is that a feasible possibility? Would he risk all for the political capital he would gain by going to war? There is no doubt Monsieur Dimont would seem a hero in many quarters for saving a poor nation named after the homeland from a hostile empire- He could win a political coup in one fell swoop, crippling his "unpatriotic" rivals. He'd surely have the support of his party, all fervent patriots and sabre rattlers. In an instant all discord could be forgotten regarding the Federation, possibly gaining enough momentum to squeeze it through the National Convention.

Political CrossroadsAs Monsieur Dimont is now well aware, once you make certain decisions in politics, you can't take them back, and you are left with the consequences- As with the Federation, so too with New Alduria. Whilst there could be a political coup, just as much a possibility is that the Premier shall find himself in a more precarious situation- There will be opposition in some quarters, and there are rivals such as Deputy Jean Martin waiting in the wings should Dimont slip up. The Premier may also find that public euphoria for war diminishes once body bags start arriving home and there are empty seats at the family dinner table. Monsieur Dimont might very well win over his backbench only to find himself in opposition with them for the next 5 years.